Bill Chalker (UFOICNSW, Sydney) phones Moira McGhee for info on
Quirindi and sample and offers to use his scientific analysis
contacts for testing. Bryan agrees to have Bill organize the analysis.
Bill collects package across town from Moira (very late 15th August,
monsoon conditions!).

Bill spends Sunday 16 trying to stabilize container/sample - unwraps
package, which only seems to show a small speck of 'something'
on the bottom, but does not actually open container/remove plastic
film cover. Bill also contacted Mrs. Stansfield directly -- she
said she had checked the container/sample later on the 10th and
noticed most of the sample had evaporated. She had gone outside
in the dark to find/collect (difficult) some more material to
add to the container. There is now a possibility the 'sample'
to hand may not be the original 'angels hair', but cobweb.

However, Bill extracts a sample of the atmosphere from the container
for possible future testing, with some difficulty. Complications:
Bill tries to contact a colleague to arrange further testing/viewing
of sample (colleague not available for several days; wife has
just had a baby). All samples kept cold/constant temperature.
Bill had also hoped he might be able to get an air sample (in
a yogurt container) from Quirindi, as a 'standard' for any later
tests, but delays/etc. suggest this would not be worthwhile.

Bill contacts Moira and Bryan to update them with a detailed progress
report of what is happening. He indicates he may only be able
to get one or possibly two chances to test the remaining sample,
there's so little of it left and that could degrade. Bryan to
delay sending his report to Mrs. Stansfield, until sample can
be viewed/tested. (Bryan had asked that while the equipment/expertise
was available, would it be possible to create and test the white,
unstable 'ash' created by a Van De Graaf generator, as a further
'control' sample for the Quirindi material? Bill (rightly) indicates
this would be difficult to coordinate at this stage, and the emphasis
should be on the Quirindi material in hand.)

Some days later, Bill arranges a 'micro-endoscopic' (cf 'microscopic')
inspection of the speck in the bottom of the yogurt container
(micro-endoscopy - the sample speck is put on a glass slide and
strongly illuminated; light from the sample is collected by a
bundle of glass fibles and magnified 5, 50, 5000 times; results
shown on a TV 1. (Bryan Dickeson, 18.09.98)

Ross Dowe's Response:

Your recent report on UFO sightings around Australia is nothing
short of total bunk..

From the Australian National UFO Hotline's call to the public,
this service has received some 50 samples of the "flying
web type substance" not only from the public but from official
channels as well.

Our findings are that the odd aerial event was cause by cotton
farming activity some 300 klm west of Tamworth.

Sample of the flying cotton came in from a 300klm radius of Tamwoth
NSW.

These huge Cotton farming companies harvest large areas and the
light cotton fibbers get caught in the temperature thermals and
travels for 100s of kilometres. During that week the winds were
heading east. End of story. (Ross Dowe, 08.09.98)

(In response to Bryan Dickenson's Report - Editor)
THIS STORY IS TOTAL RUBBISH and all the solaced facts are incorrect.
(Ross Dowe, 15.09.98)

Researcher's Response to Ross Dowe's Comments:

Bill Chalker

I'm not defending Ross Dowe's comments at all, but I think it
is premature to rule out anything at this stage. Based on the
information Moira McGhee, Bryan Dickeson and myself separately
gleaned from the witnesses it is difficult to reconcile the observations
of the "dumbbell" shaped objects and the smaller objects.
But we should not rush to judgement about certainty on either
dismissing the case as a "IFO" or a confirmed "UFO".
Currently it is a sighting - an interesting one at that, subject
to ongoing investigations.

Now as for the "angel hair". The material I managed
to extract from the container provided by the witness was subjected
to a powerful video microscopic imaging, with spider's web from
my back yard as a control comparison. There were many similarities,
and at this stage if I had to draw a conclusion I would be suggesting
the material is spidersweb, or something very similar. I will
be showing the microscopic videoing imaging during my presentation
at the UFO conference at the YWCA, Sydney, on Saturday, Sept.
12th. People can draw their own conclusions. Also I will point
out that I took elaborate precautions in the sample transfer to
a more secure container, in case we were dealing with a sample
that sublimates, as it appeared to do in my hands, in my own experience
with possible "angels hair" back in 1969 at Grafton.
I also extracted a gas phase via an eppendorf syringe prior to
opening the container, just in case. Now the sub-sample on the
micro slide we extracted from the sample remained stable throughout
the imaging session and seemed comparable to prosaic garden-variety
web samples on a separate slide. Both slide samples after a week
are still stable and will be subject to further comparative testing
when time and other priorities permit.

It is possible that the sampling sequence carried out by the witnesses
may have inadvertently led to a combination of sampling - "angel
hair" and "spiders web". That's a bit of a long
bow, but may be consistent with the statements made by the witness
to me on tape.

All this is preliminary observation but I thought it was appropriate
to comment to focus speculation on this event, which seems to
be quickly out stepping the facts so far gathered.

As for the "cotton" suggestion: the sample looks superficially
like "fine cotton", but better resembles (or is) "spiders
web".

This affair is a very instructional and worthwhile exercise in
focusing speculation and debate on the issue of "angel hair".
It certainly has had me reviewing all the literature, my own
1969 experience and the literature on possible natural explanations.

I will advise when I have further info to hand. But at the moment
lets be led by the facts rather that the fancies. I am very interested
in the truth, irrespective of where it led us. (Bill Chalker,
10.09.98)

Bryan Dickeson

I had thought Ross Dowe's "cotton-picking" comments
so awful and unscientific as to not even warrant consideration
(which is pretty typical of much of what he does).

However:

1) You don't need to be an agronomist to know when the cotton
is fluffing up and raring to go; certainly not late winter (at
best them lil' old cottonseeds will still be tucked up in their
lil' old cotton beds, waiting to sprout in the spring!). Ask Ross
to check it for himself anyway, the Agriculture Department people
are just a phone call away and I believe he can run to that.

2) After a series of days of very high rainfall throughout the
district, it is very unlikely that any cotton bolls that might
be around would be dry enough the first day of sunshine afterwards
to pop their boll en-masse.

3) Most of the fertile riverbed 'bottom lands' used to grow cotton
(which requires a lot of water and fertilizer to grow) were flooded
by those same rainfalls - result (at best) soggy cotton, or cotton
plantlets -- any that had been planted up to the rains would probably
have to be replanted once the floods subside.

4) The Meteorological Department says there was no wind in the
area (just the thermals mentioned by the main witness) - suggest
Ross 'phone the Met folk to check this as well.

And there are other considerations.

Where does that guy get his info from? - certainly not the Junior
Woodchuck's Manual. I don't know why he wastes everyone's time
or even why we give him e-space. (Bryan Dickeson, 16.09.98).
(Source Diane Harrison, e-mail: tkbnetw@fan.net.au.)

Sunday 7th January 1996 8.20pm, Central East NT cattle station
hand has daylight sighting of battleship gray object 100ft wide
by 40ft height, box shape beneath 25ft wide, 6ft high. Altitude
130ft. Top of object spinning. Bottom half-unmoving and emitting
a vapour(?) and smell like steam off hot metal. A whirlwind or
vortex underneath near wild livestock. Station hand ex-marine
and UN force member took photos and reported the cattle and wild
horses 'transfixed by the object'. (UFORUM)

"Mary Adams" and a friend were driving from west to
east - passing Honeymoon Gap (10 km west of Alice Springs) when
they noticed a bright blue "glow" in the trees at the
base of the mountain about 1/2km away. It was very low, and lit
up the ground, and Mary believes it had actually landed.

Suddenly the "light" rose up, and moved towards them.
They could see it was a solid object, about 40 metres in diameter,
with a flat base and a rounded top. It was huge - "the size
of a semi-trailer, with lines around the bottom". The blue
light formed a "halo" around the craft, and as it "floated"
overhead they could hear a "whirly noise". It was about
11.20pm and as the object followed them "above the car"
for a short time, they felt they were being "watched".
They were relieved when it flew back over the hills towards Pine
Gap.

28.02.98 Doncaster, VIC 2225hrs (CE1)

(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)

An elliptical shaped object about 80% of the moon's size was seen
travelling south to southwest in a straight line. It took four
minutes to fly out of sight. (VUFORS)

26.03.98 Oakleigh, VIC 2015-2030hrs (CE1)

(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)

An object, cream colour with lights, which looked like a saucer
upside down, flew from the south east to the northwest. (VUFORS)

30.03.98 Werribee, VIC 1720hrs (NL)

(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)

Two bright round lights was seen travelling very slowly upwards
on a slight angle. These two object appeared to have long tails.
The tails then got shorter until they disappeared and another
round, bright star-like object appeared following the first two,
only smaller. It stayed for about two seconds then it disappeared.
The original one then dimmed slowly like it was moving away at
a great speed, until it also disappeared. (VUFORS)

Two astronomers at Ayers Rock were viewing the skies at about
10pm when they noticed one bright "pulsating" star was
moving erratically in the sky. Suddenly it changed direction and
flew exceptionally fast from west to southwest and out of sight.

An object about twice the size of a four-wheel drive, passed about
20 metres from the driver. It was a gray object, with blue beams
on top and orange beams on the bottom half. The speed was estimated
at about 100kms. It was in sight for only 10 seconds before it
disappeared from view. (VUFORS)

Several prominent citizens saw a most unusual a large round black
object, about the size of the moon, above the western horizon.
The upper edge seemed to be "rimmed with fire", but
the witnesses felt this may have been a reflection of the setting
sun. It moved slowly to the west and out of sight. Tindall Air
Force Base had not received any reports, and there were no known
craft in the area. The object was too large and slow for a plane,
and no records of any high atmospheric balloons being released.

15.07.98 Hastings, VIC (possibly identified)

(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)

An object with a red and blue light base and white on top, was
observed moving northwest slowly. It them reversed direction.
Two lights were seen falling from the object. Possibly a balloon,
with Cyalume light-stick falling away. (VUFORS)

24.07.98 Robertsons Beach, VIC 0600hrs (DO)

(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)

Two witnesses reported seeing two objects, one a bright light,
the other orange. They were flying from SE to SW. The second was
about half the size of the first, about the size of a 5-cent piece
held at arms length. Both objects disappeared suddenly. (VUFORS)

02.08.98 Victoria 0223hrs (NL) (U/I)

(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)

Observer was taking her dog outside when she saw an object larger
than the moon (followed by smaller lights) below the clouds. They
first traveled slowly, then disappeared suddenly. (VUFORS)

It was 6.30pm when Alice Springs tracker Fred Kilah arrived home.
As he went down the side of the house he noticed two bright white
fluorescent lights high in the northern sky. They were most unusual
- one long "cigar" shaped followed by a small "ball".
The lights moved slowly north across the sky in a straight line,
until they were lost from view over the rooftops.

On Tuesday, August 18, 1998, at 7:15 p.m., K.K. was "walking
towards my car after finishing with work when I saw a golden colour
object high up in the sky." His sighting took place
at the intersection of the Burwood Highway and Springvale Road
in Forest Hill, Victoria.

"Unlike a star, it was gleaming golden - bigger than a
star--perhaps half the size of the moon and also spherical in
shape," K.K. reported. "Just after I looked,
the object accelerated straight into the clouds and disappeared.
I didn't have time to call security or someone else to witness
this object. Hopefully, I will have enough time the next time
around. The object was moving very slowly, then shot off to the
north at a very high speed, but not in a straight line, more of
a curvy line. Half the sky was cloudy, the other half clear. The
object traveled from the clear half to the cloudy half. It was
high above the clouds." (Email Interview).

The group slit up into 3 groups of 8 children, so to settle for
a night of camp. Each group camped around 100 meters apart. When
one group noticed a bright silver ball of white light flickering
and moving up and around it was bigger than the stars around it
so it stood out, then they saw more white lights moving in the
same direction. The children all grouped together to watch the
dancing lights, they watched them for around 2 minutes then the
lights grouped and moved away at fast speed.

13.09.98 Gold Coast, QLD (Identified as Venus) 0520hrs

(Source: Personal Files)

A bright light was observed in clear sky, with no other stars
present and a half moon visible. The sun was rising. The light
was seen in the NW over mountains (not sure of range) on the Gold
Coast.. Observed the object for approximately 30mins. It was moving
slowly away from its initial observation point. Speed indeterminable.
Observed through binoculars by three witnesses. Two separate lights
was seen by two of the witnesses. Definitely not an aircraft as
no flight lights was seen. The Sun was to the witnesses backs
whilst watching the object. One of the witnesses saw the same
object the following morning in roughly the same area. (Robert
Frola)

Mr. D anonymous, said that he went out side 11.20pm and just happened
to look up at the sky, where he saw a bright lights colour was
Red, Blue, Green, it was moving and was followed by approx.
7 smaller lights which looked like stars. Mr. D went back in side
and rang a friend 11.25pm and asked her to go out side to see
if she could see them from her place. Mrs. Clark went out side
at 11.30pm and saw the same thing she thought, that's strange
why are the stars moving. She then saw the lights start to do
a number of formations.

1. straight line then of into a V joined

2. a circle with a tail.

3. a wide V

4. a V with a line through the middle.

she said she watched this for around 15 to 20 minutes then they
disappeared. (UFOICQ)

Miss K, 24yrs was on her way to work when see saw what she thought
to be 2 very bright lights in the sky they where bigger than the
stars around them and a plane passed by them, she said she stopped
her car to get a better look.

The 2 bright lights stayed stationary, then to her surprise, another
1 appeared and joined the 2. She watched them for a few minutes
then the 3 lights formed a circle and put on the best light display,
she said, it was like Christmas lights. But the strangest thing
happened, she thought she heard beautiful music in her heard,
she said it was amazing to watch, then they suddenly disappeared.
(UFOICQ)

The Terara Sightings

Investigators: Brad Mildern

Report written by: witness

I hope the following is of use to you. Until the first Sunday
in January 1970 I was a non-believer in UFOs.

Although I grew up in a family who were not open minded as to
things of an extraterrestrial nature I still managed to follow
the progress of the US and Russian space programs, believing that
their achievements were milestones in mankind's quest for a better
understanding of the universe. Now these events seem primitive
compared to the craft I witnessed at Terara and Culburra.

My parent s and I moved to Terara from St George's Basin in mid
1969 after selling our eight-acre farm on Island Point Road. My
father bought a five-acre property near the intersection of Milbank
Road and the main Terara Road. While we were building our house
we lived in a corrugated iron shed which would eventually be a
workshop and provide storage for the tractor and farm implements.
Our shed was probably 40 feet long by 15 feet wide. I mention
these measurements because they are relevant to the first sighting.

On the morning of the first sighting I was unable to sleep as
it had been a hot night and inside the shed it was like an oven.
Mum and Dad were sleeping so I put the earphone in the radio and
tried to take my mind off the heat. I had just settled down when
there was a weird whistling and crackling sound followed by nothing.
At this stage I should like to mention that I have a keen interest
in electronics and anything mechanical. So with this in mind you
can understand my curiosity as to what was happening with the
radio. I moved the radio around to place the aerial in a better
position but that didn't work so I wiggled the earphone plug,
still nothing. At first I thought the local oscillator had drifted
off frequency or it may have been as simple as an audio stage
failure. There was nothing just a low hiss, which seemed normal
for a cheap transistor radio when there is no signal to drive
the audio stages.

While I was fussing with the radio I noticed it was getting close
to dawn so I decided to go outside and cool off. As I usually
do I scanned the sky to see what kind of a day it was going to
be. As I did I noticed a bright star over towards the Shoalhaven
River (northwards) which runs almost parallel to Terara Road.
I remember how bright it looked. I had never seen such a bright
blue star in that portion of the sky before.

Just as I was trying to get my eyes better focused on it, it disappeared.
I remember my thoughts being that stars surely don't just appear
to go out, like a light being switched off. After some searching
it appeared over our shed, only extremely high, too high to even
guess its height. Just as before it vanished from view.

The next time I caught sight of it I almost fell to my knees.
It was not very high up, perhaps only one or two thousand feet.
It appeared to be flying at the height that single engine aircraft
fly over towns etc. Now it was very clear what it was. It was
shaped like a huge disk and from the size of our shed I would
put its diameter at about 45 feet across. In the centre of the
underside there was a beautiful blue glow. This was coming from
a smaller circle of about 12 feet. As it descended it was wobbling
from side to side and I remember feeling very numb and wondering
whether to run or not. I ran to hide behind a post in the fence
that separated the house paddock from the rest of the farm.

By now the craft was only a few feet from the ground. It appeared
as though it was about 10 feet thick at the centre and tapered
to about two or perhaps three feet at the rim. Around the outer
edge of the rim I could just make out black rectangular shapes.
These were darker than the actual surface of the craft, so I took
them to be windows or portholes of some kind. There was no light
coming from any of them.

By now the sun was just coming up and as the craft neared the
ground it cast an oval shadow on the ground. As it descended even
closer to the ground the beautiful blue glow from underneath was
illuminating the grass, making it flatten out as though some invisible
weight was being placed upon it. There was a low humming sound,
something like that you hear when close to the huge transformers
at a substation. The air was full of the odour of hot electrical
parts. When the craft was about 5 or 6 feet from the ground a
sound like a power drill could be heard and then four shiny legs
extended at an angle from the underside, each about the thickness
of a person's arm. On the end of each leg there was a flat plate
on which the craft rested when it landed.

I sat huddled even closer behind my post in the hope that I should
not be seen. After a while the electrical smell drifted away and
the hum ceased along with the blue glow which just faded away.
The craft was a beautiful sight, it certainly was not of this
world. There were no seams or rivet marks, just a beautifully
polished metallic surface somewhat like gunmetal. It was absolutely
stunning to look at, even in those confused moments I wondered
what kind of technical skills would be needed to create such a
perfect machine as this certainly was. In the morning sun the
whole thing glittered as though it was made of gold, even the
gunmetal surface seemed to sparkle. The top gently sloped up until
it was about 12 or 18 inches thick. At the apex it rose another
foot or so where a beautiful golden ball was attached to the shaft.
The underside of the craft was only slightly curved; perhaps it
could have rested upon the ground even without the landing supports.
While all this was happening I was no more than 100 feet away.
I decided to get just a bit closer. To do this I would have to
crawl through the fence wires. I grabbed the lowest strand of
barbed wire and received a hell of an electric shock, which threw
me heavily to the ground. (AT THE TIME OF THE SIGHTING THERE WERE
NO ELECTRIC FENCES ON OUR PROPERTY). After being flattened by
the fence wire whoever or whatever was at the controls must have
realized I was close by, because the hum started and the blue
glow once more reflected on the grass and the craft began to gently
rise. When it had reached a couple of hundred feet it slipped
sideways and shot off at tremendous speed towards the river. When
it had departed all I was left with was a swish of hot air which
once again smelled like burnt electrical components. That wonderful
machine was now just a blue dot high over the river, within seconds
it had disappeared completely.

After that day I went back to doing nothing for the next few days
over the Christmas holiday, but I could not settle down. The whole
thing haunted me. I could only ponder the question "Why me?"

The Second Sighting:

On the second Sunday in January I was invited out to stay with
a friend of mine at Culburra Beach. I woke early on that Sunday
having arranged to go down to the beach at the end of Ocean Street
by myself to watch the sunrise.

After my paddle I decided to go back up to the steps and find
a nice dry place on the sand and eat my sandwiches and drink.
While I was scanning the horizon I noticed a blue blob in the
darker portion of the sky over towards the headland which was
off to my left. Then just as before it disappeared. I remember
thinking at the time that I must be going crazy. "It couldn't
happen twice, or could it?" Within a few moments I could
see a dark flat looking object coming towards me. It was just
above the horizon and growing larger by the minute. As it passed
the confines of the headland I could see that the centre looked
round while the edges looked thin. I raced back up towards the
steps, but something told me not to run that it was all OK and
that I would not be harmed. It was an overwhelming feeling of
peace and tranquillity. It was as though someone was talking to
me, yet I heard no one speak, just that warm feeling of someone
being close by. Someone you were sure would not harm you. That's
the only way in which I can describe the sensation I experienced
as I ran. When I turned around the same craft I saw at Terara
was landing on the hard sand just above the breakers. The same
events took place on the water's edge as at Terara. The blue glow
and the hum slowly died away and all that was left was this beautiful
craft sitting majestically on the hard sand. "Why me and
how could they know my every move? This and dozens of other questions
were running through my mind. I felt that I had been chosen for
some very important reason. It certainly was beyond my understanding
and as many times as I have pondered the whole thing I am at a
loss to understand the significance of both sightings. While all
these thoughts were running through my mind I noticed a panel
on the side of the craft begin to slide back. It was above the
rim and sloping back towards the curvature of the dome. A milky
white light filtered out which was so bright it made my eyes water
when I tried to look at it. Just as I was trying to come to terms
with the opening of the hatch a tall slender figure appeared.
It looked black against the white light but for a moment it stepped
backwards and I could make out a few details. It was wearing a
tight fitting suit that ran from the wrists down to the ankles.
In the milky white light the suit looked as though it was dark
gray in colour. The head seemed out of proportion to the rest
of the body. The hands long and slender hung at its side, the
eyes slanted and the facial features flat, there being no signs
of emotion - smiles etc. It held out the right hand as though
it wanted me to come. I turned away and started crawling back
towards the steps, afraid to get up and run.

From that moment on I have no memory of what happened next, but
I sure wished I did. My next conscious moment was waking up a
couple of miles away on the grass at the end of the headland.
My head was pounding with a terrible headache and I had blurred
vision. When I looked at my watch it was almost midday, yet it
was around 5am by the time I got to the beach. I couldn't work
out how I ended up around at the headland. Surely I didn't walk
there in an unconscious state, so it seems highly probable that
I must have been abducted.

From my studies of UFO cases it seems more than likely that I
was chosen at random. However, there are people who seem to have
been in contact with these entities all their lives. To this day
I have had numerous strange experiences yet I would not relate
them in any way to my contact in 1970.

Investigator's Notes:

Abbreviated from a witness statement taken from a Mrs. T.C. Witness
was 18 at the time of the sighting. Both sightings occurred just
after dawn and within 50 metres of the witness. Anyone wanting
further info should contact me direct by email or ph 02 44235463.
I have a hand drawn diagram of the UFO (disk shape with a spire
and golden ball on top).